1. Field
The following description relates to a semiconductor device with an embedded schottky diode and a manufacturing method thereof, and to, for example, a semiconductor device with an embedded schottky diode integrated within the semiconductor device to improve switching efficiency, and a manufacturing method for fabricating such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Schottky diodes are generally used as a switching device or a rectifier device in a semiconductor device. Schottky diodes include a metal-semiconductor junction that is formed between a semiconductor and a metal. Compared to general PN junction diodes having a semiconductor-semiconductor junction, schottky diodes provide not only an improved fast switching characteristic, but also a lower turn-on voltage. This is because, unlike PN junction diodes, schottky diodes do not have a minority carrier injection (MIC) when the forward voltage is applied thereto. Because currents flow through schottky diodes via majority carriers instead of minority carriers, schottky diodes provide advantages of no accumulative effect and very short reverse recovery time.
Schottky diodes exhibit excellent performance as a switching device and exhibit a lower turn-on voltage than conventional PN junction diodes. Accordingly, techniques have been developed to reduce the ringing generated from the switching device when schottky diodes are used, to improve switching efficiency and also to reduce conduction loss of the body diode, by providing a structure that connects the schottky diode to a conventional PN junction diode in parallel.
For example, a separate schottky diode from the body diode is connected in parallel to the body diode or a separate schottky diode is added into a semiconductor diode. However, these conventional examples have drawbacks. For example, the operational efficiency is not greatly improved due to parasitic inductance generated from separate electrical contacts, or the unit cost of the device increases due to need for additional space for the diode.